A police officer has been awarded £1,000 in compensation after an offender spat in her face while she was restraining him. PC Sarah Botham received the compensation order after Lee Birtles admitted that he had assaulted her at a magistrates hearing. The PC had feared that she could have contracted hepatitis however tests showed that this did not happen. The award is the highest to be given in cases such as this and the police federation are hoping that it may act as a deterrent to suspects. They point out that spitting is considered an assault and arrests can be made. Birtles was being arrested for a breach of the peace when the incident occurred. He has also been given a six month curfew and has to pay a victim surcharge and costs. He has said that he was surprised by the amount of compensation he was expected to pay. He claims he was spitting to get pepper spray out of his mouth.

A severely disabled girl from Essex is being forced to fly to New Zealand for one day every month to qualify for the compensation she was awarded after her birth in the country. Paige Carpenter was born in New Zealand but suffered brain damage. She was subsequently awarded compensation due to epilepsy, cerebral palsy and a twisted spine resulting from complications during her birth. However when her British born mother decided to move back to the UK they discovered that the payments which were being made for her care would be reduced to less than half what she was getting. The payments are provided by the New Zealand Accident Compensation Corporation and according to the Accident Compensation Act, overseas compensation receivers get limited benefits. However there is room for discretionary payments on a limited basis and Paige's mother is fighting for a more permanent solution. Currently she and Paige make the 24 hour round trip once a month for her treatment.

Banks in the US which foreclosed on their mortgage holders due to the banking crisis between 2009 and 2010 have agreed on a package of compensation worth $3.3bn (USD) in direct payments and $5.2bn in other related assistance such as loan modifications for those who fell behind. Mortgage holders will be able to apply for compensation ranging up to $125,000 depending on their case. The agreement has been signed up to by Bank of America, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo and those in charge have said that the money will be directed to those affected as soon as possible to avoid further delay. The compensation will be offered due to the foreclosure of loans which were mishandled or loans which were modified unfairly. Some loan holders may receive better loan terms as a result. However it has been pointed out that the compensation on offer is unlikely to repay homeowners for the losses they suffered in full.

The government has said that it will compensate those companies which are affected by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme due to their higher than average fossil fuel use. The £250m compensation scheme is designed to prevent companies from moving their business abroad due to the rules on emissions in the UK. Many companies have been forced to increase their use of electricity to avoid heavy carbon taxes. However MPs have argued that the compensation is not appropriate and does little to address the actual problem of the decarbonisation of the sector in the long term. They are asking for the government to set out a strategy which will reduce the use of fossil fuels rather than offer compensation. It has also been pointed out that the compensation package is not correctly regulated and does not take into account electricity generated on-site or bulk purchasing schemes.